About MEAMA

Background: The number of older people is growing and they frequently have health-related problems with a mixture of physical, mental, social and behavioural aspects. In the past, these problems were seen only in a few older people and the families were able to take care of their parents or old relatives. However, societies are changing as a result of the demographic and cultural developments and they face the increasing possibilities of modern medicine. The Middle East Academy for Medicine of Ageing Started in 2002. The first course 2003/2005 to stimulate the development of health care services for older people in the Middle- East area. The course has been build up with 4 sessions, each of 4 days, that will cover important topics of the health-related problems in older people.

The aim of the Middle-East Academy for Medicine of Ageing:

• To stimulate the development of services to meet the health related problems in increasing number of older people in the Middle- East Area.
  
• To improve knowledge and skills of professionals, physicians, nurses and health care officers, in health related problems in older people, starting with a special interest in community care in the Middle-East area.
  
• To harmonise the attitudes and goals of future opinion leaders in approaching the health related problems of older people in the Middle East area.
  
• To establish a network among physicians, nurses and health care officers, responsible for the health care of older people and those responsible for medical and nurse students instruction, as well as general physicians caring for aged people.
  
• To stimulate scientific interest in the health related problems in older people.

Benefit of application: The course will increase knowledge and skills in the management of health related problems in older people in the Middle-East area. Participants will be trained in searching literature, presenting state of the art lectures, discussion with opinion leaders and chairing and reporting groups discussions. Each participant will be evaluated individually, to reach a maximum improvement of experiences and skills. The certificate of the course will be a valuable document for the participants' career.

The two-years MEAMA course was started in 2003 by a group of Middle-East and European Professors and the plan is to have two sessions every year either in Tripoli-Lebanon or elsewhere in the Middle-East.

The highly successful format of intensive attending participation in working groups, giving short presentations and leading discussions as well as state-of -of-the-art lectures by expert in the field is still followed today.

The organisers of the Middle-East Academy for Medicine of Ageing organise this course with support of the Abyad Medical Center, the European Academy for Medicine of Ageing, the European Union of Geriatric Medicine, the Geriatric Medicine Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists and the International Association of Gerontology, and Arab Scientists Organisation. None of these organisations has possibilities for financial support.

The first course had finished successfully with graduating six participants to become member of the new network. The second course of the MEAMA will follow the same format that is two sessions each year over the next two years 2006-2007. We expect a successful second course, and planned to continue with more courses in the future. Dependant on the developments of the services for the health related problems for older people in the Middle East area the future programmes will be adapted to the specific needs. The idea is not only to teach and train people, but also to give support in the process of the development in the countries by adaptation of the programmes. A very beneficial side effect we want to reach is the development of a useful network for the participants of the course. For this reason we make all participants a 'member of the MEAMA' after the graduation and will offer them the opportunity for feed back, positions as speakers and participation in special activities of the following courses.

The site of the MEAMA is intended to give the visitor an on-line access to the main lectures given at this advanced workshops. In addition to allowing registration for future sessions online.

http://www.me-jaa.com/MEAMA.htm